Intravascular catheters can be used for medical diagnoses and interventions. Some intravascular catheters include a tube having conductors that can be used to stimulate internal organs and/or carry return signals for analysis.
Catheter makers face challenges in making catheters that are both economically competitive and functional. For many applications, conductors are formed on a flexible substrate. Patterns of conductors can be formed on the substrate using a print-and-etch process, which can be prohibitively expensive. The expense is attributable in part to the print-and-etch processes used in creating the wiring pattern. Expensive chemicals or lasers may be used for print-and-etch processes, and hazardous waste may be a byproduct.
In addition to being costly and environmentally unfriendly, reliability and durability are challenges presented by printed-and-etched catheters. With lengths of many catheters in the range of 2 meters, catheter makers may experience low yields in forming conductive patterns on a long narrow substrate. In addition, crosstalk problems may appear in the resulting structure, and normal usage involving bending and twisting of the catheter may damage the conductors, which reduces the product life expectancy and increases costs.